City comparison
Boston, MA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 7.9% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $107,900 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.2% moving from Boston, MA to Spokane, WA ($120,548 → $106,991), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,685 in Spokane | $107,893 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
93 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
23 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Boston → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,044 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $75,068 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,974 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,991 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $126,432 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $98,800 | $106,598 (+8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $130,690 | $141,005 (−15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $86,350 | $93,165 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $111,750 | $120,570 (+13.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.